Hearing from the co-founder of Precious Plastics Shanghai was illuminating to see how intertwined technology, arts, and social impact can be. For the founders of PP Shanghai, this now-business started as a self-funded side project, but has now grown into a business funded by community workshops for the generation of funding. This developed through an iterative process of design after looking at waste production by bringing design and engineering together – which really embodies the theme and purpose of this course.
When I thought about this project solely as a means of removing plastic from landfills, I questioned whether it actually had impact. This seemed rather small-scale, such that making a few custom stools and other products may barely make a dent in the extreme abundance of plastic waste in the world. However, this combination of art, technology, and community engagement through workshops and product placement may be a powerful vehicle to teach about sustainability, amplify awareness and impact, and promote a circular economy. Practically, the value is not about mass production or large scale recycling but more about art– about using a problematic material to create art and start conversations. I found it very interesting that noticing the amount of waste produced in China was what inspired this project– because China is such a large exporter to the rest of the world, and also accepted a lot of waste imported from the rest of the world, they do not have the privilege of imagining waste as a temporary production that can simply be thrown and shipped “away.” Confronting the daily appearance of so much waste can inspire change if people are given the agency to make change within that.
I am curious about the energy expenditure of this project relative to incineration or mass-scale recycling and of flights to meet up with other Precious Plastics lab members. Additionally, I worry about the health effects we may not yet know — so many things like asbestos and lead were heralded as innovations that can transform society, but only many years later did we learn how dangerous they are. We know burning and chemically altering plastic can have harmful health impacts, but I wonder if physical alterations (melting, shredding, manipulating, etc.) could also release toxins that we aren’t yet aware of.
With the proper safety gear we should be fine. I think as long as we don’t burn the plastic this should be ok, but it is always good to take safety precautions. We have added ventilation to maintain a clean and safe place to work. Also we won’t be doing this for an extensive period of time. Anyways, this is a pretty valid concern.